The aim of the article is to analyze the relationship existing between the rites of passage inherent to the organizational culture and the process of knowledge construction in individuals. We describe the theoretical currents that influence the study of organizational culture and the concepts that underlie the process of informational appropriation by individuals in order to reveal the symbolical dimension of rites of passage in established organizations and their influence on cognitive aspects that affect the construction of knowledge. Therefore, the analysis strategy used was the concept of rites of passage adopted by Van Gennep and the perspective of organizing models of thought presented by Moreno and collaborators. The values and beliefs shared by the organization from the rites of passage are abstract, signified and organized as information according to the core values and beliefs set forth by the individual throughout life. It may be concluded that the rites of passage developed by organizations influence the construction of distinct knowledge in subjects who, naturally, deviate from the expectations of organizational homogenization.
Appropriation of information; Construction of knowledge; Organizational culture; Rites of passage
